Is there a secret portal to Disney World in the toilet bowls? Are the soap dispensers filled with chocolate syrup? Are the toilet paper rolls full of twenty-dollar bills? They must be. They have to be. Why else would mobs of students commune by the stalls?

      Or maybe it’s something else entirely. Among youth, e-cigarettes are more popular than any traditional tobacco product. In 2015, the U.S. surgeon general reported that e-cigarette use among high school students had increased by 900%.  

       We don’t even fully understand the effects of the chemicals used in e-cigarettes. So, for teens to knowingly take that chance on their life is immature and ignorant. What’s even worse is that they feel okay subjecting others to that experience. 

     One day, I was casually going to the bathroom, and there was this group of sophomores standing in front of the stalls talking. At this point, I didn’t think much of it because that’s pretty normal and they weren’t bothering me. Now, what really bothered me was when I opened the door to wash my hands and found myself in a cloud of smoke.

        The peach-scented “death cloud” hovered over my head and then settled onto my hair, skin, and clothes. This made me furious because how disrespectful and selfish do you have to be to take a public area (especially a stinky restroom) and use it as a smoking lounge? 

    And while we’re at it, let’s talk about masks.

Yup. 

That’s right.  All you people who STILL have not figured out how to wear your mask correctly (or at all), you are putting me and everyone around you at risk.  

So, not only am I subjected to dangerous chemicals including nicotine, you are also subjecting me to the chance of disease.  

    And while we’re at it.  How about not skipping class.  Your 19 visits to the same bathroom in just one class isn’t suspicious at all.  Nor are your echoing voices as you try to hide under the stairwell.  And did I mention cameras?  You’re on them.

Vaping is not worth the effects it will have on your health. Keeping your mask down is not worth the chance of contracting an illness. Skipping class will only make your high school experience harder in the long run. 

All these things are shortcuts to disaster.

      The easy way is not the best way. The most comfortable thing to do is not the best thing to do. There are consequences for every action you take. Make the right decision. This is high school, and the next step we will take is attending college or getting a job. So, we must stop acting like irresponsible kids and start acting like young adults who actually have some ambition and respect.